October 1, 2018 Honorable Pat Roberts Honorable Mike Conaway U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture U.S. House Committee on Agriculture 328A Russell Senate Office Building 1301 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 Honorable Debbie Stabenow Honorable Collin Peterson U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture U.S. House Committee on Agriculture 328A Russell Senate Office Building 1301 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 Honorable John Hoeven Honorable Robert Aderholt Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations U.S. House Committee on Appropriations Room S-128, The Capitol 2362-A Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 Honorable Jeff Merkley Honorable Sanford Bishop Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations U.S. House Committee on Appropriations Room S-128, The Capitol 2362-A Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairman Roberts, Ranking Member Stabenow, Chairman Conaway, Ranking Member Peterson, Chairman Hoeven, Ranking Member Merkley, Chairman Aderholt, and Ranking Member Bishop: We, the undersigned scientists and researchers, write to respectfully oppose the Trump administration's proposed reorganization of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS). Given the scale of this proposal and the importance of science-based agriculture research and education to our nation's agricultural economy, we urge you to delay the reorganization until Congress and stakeholders have been appropriately briefed, and have been given the opportunity for input into the process. The world class research carried out through NIFA and the ERS comprises part of the science- based bedrock of our food and farm system. It empowers producers, businesses, and decisionmakers across the country with the accurate, unbiased data they rely on every day. As scientists and researchers, we are a part of the USDA's constituency and have a vested interest in the continued success of the agriculture research conducted through the USDA. However, we believe the proposed changes would have both immediate and long-term negative impacts on the USDA's science-based mission and consequently on those who the USDA is meant to serve. As the USDA's premier extramural agriculture science agency, NIFA and the research it supports must be at the center of the department's decision-making. Distancing NIFA from USDA headquarters would directly diminish the ability of the director, senior staff and national program leaders to effectively inform the USDA's decisions. Furthermore, relocating NIFA outside of the Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only. Capitol area could hamper the ability of the agency to raise the profile of agricultural research, extension, and education, by preventing collaboration with a broad base of stakeholders and federal agencies, many of whom are based in the Capitol area. The interdisciplinary research and collaboration that NIFA currently engages in with the Department of Defense; the National Science Foundation; the National Institutes of Health; the Office of Science, Technology and Policy; and myriad other entities in Washington, DC, would also be threatened or even stopped, negatively impacting stakeholders across the country. The ERS, which is designated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as a "principal statistical agency," is renowned for intramural and extramural applied social science research that provides high-quality research intended to inform evidence-based policymaking on food and agriculture issues. We have serious concerns that internally relocating the ERS under the control of the Office of the Chief Economist and externally relocating it outside of the Capitol area would jeopardize the ERS's products, relevance, and overall integrity. It is imperative the ERS remains an independent agency whose work is respected widely, and moving the ERS out of the Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area to a more policy-oriented part of USDA will jeopardize the ERS's autonomy in this regard. We urge that the ERS remain in REE, and the protections of the ERS as an independent agency be strengthened. We ask you to provide support for the ERS at least at FY 2018 levels and ensure that they continue to have access to data and statistical resources. A primary justification offered by the administration for this proposed reorganization was to "attract and retain highly qualified staff." Not only has the administration not provided evidence that that is a current issue, they have failed to put forth any plan to demonstrate that they could attract and retain highly qualified staff in a new location. Science-based agriculture research is critical to everything the USDA does. As scientists and researchers deeply vested in the success of US agriculture, we ask that you use your authority to protect agriculture research and scientific integrity. The scientific resources provided by NIFA and the ERS are critical to maintaining our food system, supporting nutrition, maintaining national security, and ensuring the success of agriculture in the United States. Signed, Alabama Ellen Anderson, M.D. Janna Owens, Ph.D. Ohatchee, AL Huntsville, AL Kyle Crider David L. Smith, M.D. Helena, AL Spanish Fort, AL Thomas Kennedy, Ph.D. Winfield, AL Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only. James Tucker, Ph.D. Fred Oswald Cullman, AL Prescott, AZ Daniel Richardson, Ph.D. Alaska Payson, AZ William Armbruster, Ph.D. Ivar Sanders Senior Research Scientist, Tucson, AZ Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska, Fairbanks Linda Schermer, M.P.H. Fairbanks, AK Sedona, AZ Donna Difolco Mitchell Stanek U.S. Department of Interior Fairbanks, AK Gold Canyon, AZ Alina Evans, Ph.D. Barbara Warren, M.D. Fairbanks, AK Director, Arizona Chapter Physicians for Social Responsibility Warren Jones, M.D. Tucson, AZ Anchorage, AK Catherine Williams Martha Raynolds, Ph.D. Tucson, AZ Research Scientist, Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska, Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK Arkansas Janine Perlman, Ph.D. Paula Williams, Ph.D. Alexander, AR Anchorage, AK Kenneth Smith Fayetteville, AR Arizona Patricia Finkenbinder T. Stephen Cody Dardanelle, AR Tucson, AZ Juan Gallardo, Ph.D. California Tucson, AZ David Akey, Ph.D. Ron Hubert Research Scientist (Retired), Flagstaff, AZ Agricultural Research Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Robert McDonald Los Osos, CA Flagstaff, AZ Steven Allison, Ph.D. Marshall Moss, Ph.D. Irvine, CA Tucson, AZ Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only. Ray Anderson, Ph.D. Jeffery Burkhart, Ph.D. Research Scientist, US Salinity Laboratory, Claremont, CA Agricultural Research Service U.S. Department of Agriculture John Bushoven, Ph.D. Riverside, CA Professor and Chair, Plant Sciences California State University, Fresno Kirstin Aschbacher, Ph.D. Fresno, CA San Francisco, CA Monika Calef, Ph.D. Roger Avery Associate Professor, Physical Geography San Ramon, CA Soka University Huntington Beach, CA David Baca El Sobrante, CA June Cancell, Ph.D. Palo Alto, CA Christopher Bacon, Ph.D. Santa Clara, CA Liz Carlisle, Ph.D. Lecture, Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences Roger Bales, Ph.D. Stanford University Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Palo Alto, CA University of California, Merced Merced, CA David Carlson, Ph.D. Carlsbad, CA Barbara Ballinger, M.D. Menlo Park, CA Thea Carlson Executive Director, Rick Belding Biodynamic Association Santa Rosa, CA Santa Rosa, CA Doug Bender, Ph.D. Andy Carman, Ph.D. Redondo Beach, CA Santa Cruz, CA Douglas Benedict David Carter, Ph.D. Santa Monica, CA Academic Coordinator, Center for Plant Cell Biology Jennifer Bevan, Ph.D. University of California Riverside Orange, CA Redlands, CA Charles Blair, M.D. Edward Cavasian Lompoc, CA Palo Alto, CA Shelley Blam, Ph.D. Ann Chapman, Dr. P.H. Oakland, CA Visalia, CA Richard Blish, Ph.D. Ted Cheeseman Saratoga, CA Saratoga, CA Robert Brown, Ph.D. Guihua Chen, Dr. P.H. Pomona, CA Sacramento, CA Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only. Nat Childs Antonia Darragh Miranda, CA San Diego, CA Ruth Clifford, Ph.D. Kathryn De Master, Ph.D. San Jose, CA Assistant Professor, Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Natalie Cohen, Ph.D. University of Saskatchewan Pasadena, CA Napa, CA Irene Collins Barbara Dincau, Ph.D. Petaluma, CA Camarillo, CA Scott Cookson, Ph.D. Barbara Dixson Encinitas, CA San Diego, CA Monica Cooper, Ph.D. John Donlin Farm Adviser, La Canada Flintridge, CA Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources University of California Cooperative Extension David Dorn, Ph.D. Napa, CA Livermore, CA Charles Coston, Dr. P.H. Ann Dorsey Sunnyvale, CA Northridge, CA Tony Crabb Sheryl Dunn Owner, San Diego, CA Puma Springs Vineyards Healdsburg, CA George Ellison, M.D. San Diego, CA Ruth Craig, M.D. Oakland, CA Marsha Epstein Md, M.D. Los Angeles, CA Jim Cramer, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, Sociology Roger Ervast University of California, Davis Redlands, CA Davis, CA Julie Evens Scott Crass, Ph.D.